Syphilis spike alarms NJ health officials

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Wednesday:

⬛ Two dozen animals and a dead dog in NJ home

GALLOWAY — A 23-year-old Wildwood Crest man faces animal cruelty charges after township police responded to a home on Zurich Avenue on Saturday to investigate an animal complaint.

Police met Jason Millar, who identified himself to them as the owner and caretaker of the animals.

During their inspection, investigators found a dead dog in Millar’s home and later discovered about 25 other canines, and a cat living in poor conditions with hardly any food and water.

⬛ NJ records big spike in dangerous sexually transmitted infection

Canva

The rate of syphilis cases in New Jersey has nearly doubled in four years.

Experts are hyper-focused on syphilis due to its exponential growth compared to other sexually transmitted infections.

Nationwide, syphilis cases have shot up by 80%.

According to the newest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Garden State recorded 1,018 new cases of syphilis in 2022 (a rate of 11 cases per 100,000 people).

⬛ Teens in Range Rover ram into cops, cars at GWB

Range Rover on the George Washington Bridge 2/7/24 (@policefitnessnutrition via Instagram)

FORT LEE — State Police and the Attorney General’s office are investigating an incident Wednesday morning in which a teen rammed several commuters and police vehicles with a Range Rover on the New Jersey Turnpike approaching the George Washington Bridge.

The SUV was trying to elude police as it headed for the crossing before it was stopped.

⬛ PA man dies in custody after killing friend's wife at NJ home

Map shows Knowlton, NJ and Portland, PA (Canva)

KNOWLTON — An argument turned deadly Monday night when a man fatally shot his friend's wife and he later died from a medical emergency after his arrest.

Armond Avitable, 38, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, had been kicked out of his home after a domestic dispute and contacted Kevin Schilling, who lives in the Columbia section of Knowlton, looking for a place to stay, Warren County Prosecutor James Pfeiffer said.

⬛ NJ man charged with repeatedly raping 11-year-old girl

Edgar Rompich-Ramos (Hudson County Prosecutor's Office/Google Maps)

NORTH BERGEN — A North Jersey man is accused of sexually assaulting a young girl repeatedly last year.

Edgar Rompich-Ramos was arrested by the Special Victims Unit for the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office on Friday.

The 19-year-old North Bergen man repeatedly had sex with the 11-year-old girl at a residence in the township in 2023, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez.

NJ towns with the highest STD rates in 2022

These towns had the highest rate of sexually transmitted infections per every 1,000 residents. The data was compiled by the state Department of Health for the year 2022, the most recent year for which statistics were available in February 2022. For some diseases, a zero appears because the state suppressed the data because it failed to meet a particular standard.

Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5

NJ fast food: If you don't have these apps, you're losing money

What's better than a free item at your favorite New Jersey fast or quick food spot? With so many loyalty programs, it can be tough to keep up, so we did the work for you.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt